This is an “easy-peasy” recipe which kids can easily make.

Not only will you be able to ply them with vegetables but you will also be able to keep them busy for a while!

All you will need is:

8-10 flour Tortillas

2 8 oz. pkgs of cream cheese, softened

2 pkgs of taco seasoning mix or make your own as we did with chili powder, garlic salt, cummin, and a little cayenne and paprika

1 red bell pepper

1 yellow bell pepper

1 green bell pepper

1 8 0z. can black olives chopped

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

You may have to chop for the younger kids but mixing can be done by even the youngest of children.

Spread evenly; roll and slice.

These can even be done “cigar style”; roll and slice just 2-3 times for easy holding for little hands.

This amazing potato salad recipe has endured a handful of incarnations.

Originally, it included bacon so I, a vegetarian, have been on a quest to replace that bacon flavor with a handful of substitutions.

I have tried avocado in the dressing, toasted pine nuts, immitation bacon; spices. You name it.

Nothing really captured not only the flavor of the bacon but the crispy texture or greasy mouthfeel, either.

Fried leeks were my next attempt to capture all of these elements that have always seemed to be missing from the veggie version of this very popular dish.

Recipe:

Chop and boil 4 lbs. of red skin potatoes

Chop 1 red bell pepper, 1 orange bell pepper, 1 yellow bell pepper

Chop 7-8 green onions

Chop 1 red onion

Fry 2 leeks until crispy

Add ingredients together when cooled

Mix togehter about 2 cups of Hellman’s Real Mayonnaise with about 2 Tbsn of yellow mustard

Salt and pepper to taste

Learning about leeks was the next step.

My very knowledgable girlfriend gave me some useful tips when dealing with leeks:

Clean them very well as they have dirt in between the leaves and use only the white to bright green portion when frying or using for salads.

The dark green leaves can be used for soups and stews.

This corn on the cob cooks on the grill. What could be easier!?

Open the husks and remove the silk

Mix together butter and crushed garlic and rub all over the corn

Close the husk and place on the grill. Delicious! and Easy!

I used 1 medium eggplant and sliced into thick planks.

Then dredged them in flour, egg wash and Italian style bread crumbs and fried until golden.

Then I place them on a baking sheet and kept them at about 325 degrees until we were ready to make our burgers.

I toasted the buns with a bit of olive oil and made a mayo/spicy barbeque sauce to serve on the side.

My very handsome date, Wolf!

Fresh, warm and light; this dish is a nice compromise between soup and a meal!

The flavors of Spring come together to offer a hearty meal which features cilantro and lime.

Warm and spicy ingredients go great with beer on a sunny but cool Spring evening!

Ingredients

1 (14-ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk
2 tablespoons red curry paste
1/2 white onion, peeled and finely chopped
small bunch scallions finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 lime, juiced
1 bell pepper chopped
2 to 3 tablespoons canola oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 2 pound shrimp, shell and tail left on
1 cup small scallops
2 dozen mussels
Bunch of fresh cilantro for garnish

Method

Whisk together coconut milk, curry paste, onion, cilantro, lime juice, and oil in a large bowl. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Place shrimp in the bowl and toss to coat. Cover and let marinate at room temperature for 20 minutes.
Stir red curry paste in large skillet over medium-high heat until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add coconut milk and clam juice and bring to boil, whisking until paste dissolves.

Boil until sauce is thick enough to coat spoon, stirring occasionally, about 7 minutes.

Add shrimp to sauce.

Add chopped bell pepper.

Cook until shrimp turn pink and are just opaque in center, turning occasionally, about 4 minutes.

Stir in cilantro.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Divide shrimp and sauce among 4 shallow bowls. Garnish with cilantro, lime wedges and serve.